NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
Chapter 4 – Making it difficult for a weak mother and a foolish father
Seeing these two people remain silent, the tall and thin man was immediately dissatisfied. He clenched the reins, hoisted up the horsewhip to scare them and said, “Hey, in the end, do you guys know this person or not?”
At this time, Daddy Chu slowly stood up, putting the rope in his hand behind his back. He wanted to imitate Landlord Li stroking his beard, but he didn’t have a beard. He could only stroke his chin, then making a show of being serious, said, “May I ask what matter do you people have, to seek this humble person?”
Chu Qing-Yan was on the side, and couldn’t help but want to clap her hands and cheer. Daddy’s imitation was really like Landlord Li!
“What, you, you are Chu Huai-Yuan? Wasn’t it said that you are an idiot?” The tall and thin man stared until his eyeballs nearly fell out.
Having heard what was said, Chu Qing-Yan immediately narrowed her eyes. This person spoke without some degree of respect, with his dog eyes looking down on people. He also spoke words of slander, seems like he came without good intent.
“Cai Cai, is Daddy’s acting good?” Father Chu turned around to ask his daughter while smiling happily.
The tall and thin man originally was immersed in shock, now, seeing Father Chu grab the little doll-like girl’s hand and jumping a meter high, he couldn’t help but be enraged. This idiot actually toyed with him for fun!
Chu Qing-Yan saw the man getting angry and about to flare up, and she took the lead to step out, “My father is Chu Huai-Yuan, don’t know what matter you people have to seek us?”
With her reminder and also a burst of urging sounds coming from the horse carriage not far away. The tall and thin man recalled the real business he was here for. In a great rush, he put away his angry expression.
As a result, inside Chu family’s thatched cottage, it welcomed a group of unexpected guests.
“Eldest Master (1), Eldest Madam (1), this old woman’s last name is Li. This is Wang Ting, the two of us are both servants under the Second Madam. Because recently, Elder Chu longed to see Eldest Chu’s whole family, so the Second Madam especially appointed this old woman and Wang Ting to come to Mao village, specifically to ask you all to come back to Chu family.” The old woman had a mole at the corner of her mouth and was about thirty years old, with mouth opened, exposing yellow-colored incisors. She said it very fluently.
“This——”Mother Chu looked at this group of people bewilderedly and with uncertainty. As if meat pies were falling from the sky, but also with disbelief.
Chu Qing-Yan looked at the old woman that spoke. That woman’s eyeballs roved around, fingers continuously wringing that handkerchief, as if saying thing she didn’t mean it. Or perhaps to say that she was just being perfunctory. Chu Qing-Yan couldn’t help but to narrow her eyes. This Elder Chu (3) didn’t think of this earlier or later, but only came to pick up people after ten years. This unaccountable, solicitous person was definitely hiding evil intentions. However, she turned around to see that Mother’s expression seemed to be somewhat happy. She clearly understood, it might be assumed that Mother also had the thought of returning.
Seeing Mother Chu hesitating, Old Woman Li glanced at Wang Ting. Wang Ting immediately understood and took a step forward, saying to Mother Chu, “Eldest Madam, you and Eldest Master living here is really too difficult. Look at this room, it could be described as a room with four bare walls. How could it give Ninth Miss a stable life? Our Madam said that as long as your family of three returns with us, all of you will be able to enjoy high position and great wealth. You don’t have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your lives.”
Chu Qing-Yan stared at Wang Ting and his insincere speech. When he said the last sentence, his tone even seemed to float up. Just hearing it, you could tell that these were empty words. Before, when she was in the student union, she had recruited administrators for several class years. With regards to seeing through people, she was rather insightful. Therefore, it might be assumed that these two people came to swindle them.
However, she didn’t understand, her entire family, one weak mother and one foolish father, what could they possibly have that others might want? Was it possible that she was over-thinking this?
And just at this moment, Old Woman Li’s gaze landed on her body, as if looking at meat on a chopping board. Her eyes bloomed with a deep green color of greed, “This must be the Ninth Miss! She looks really smart, if Elder Madam (4) saw Ninth Miss, she would definitely be very happy.”
Chu Qing-Yan’s eyebrows wrinkled, she completely disliked the gaze this old woman used to look at her. Staring blankly and standing there, in any case, she was a wild girl from the countryside. It’s very normal she didn’t understand common courtesy.
Seeing Chu Qing-Yan playing and minding her own business, she didn’t seem to have any intention to greet them. A sneer emerged in Old Woman Li’s eyes. Sure enough, she really was a child that grew up in the countryside without a bit of manners or rules.
The several people said a bit more, now, the color of the sky had already darkened. Mother tidied up a room and gave it to these people to rest in. Chu Qing-Yan clearly saw the despising expression in these two people’s eyes after they swept a glance at the room. She was angered until she laughed. These people were obviously real snobs raised in the Chu Family Manor.
Because the room wasn’t large, and Chu Qing-Yan’s room was lent to the male they picked up today, as a result, Mother Chu let Father Chu squeeze together in a room with that man for one night. And she would sleep in the same room with her daughter.
Mother Chu and Father Chu went into the room to pick up some quilts. Chu Qing-Yan walked into her own room to look at that unconscious man.
That person still remained in the same posture for today, motionlessly lying there. Chu Qing-Yan sometimes felt that if it weren’t for the breathing from his nose, she would think that he was already dead.
Chu Qing-Yan walked over, twisted dry the cloth and once again softly wiped his face. She suddenly discovered that the color of his skin wasn’t as purple as before, only, it hadn’t completely dispersed. When she was about to continue to wipe him clean, Mother suddenly called her. She immediately put down the cloth and walked out with quick steps.
At the moment when Chu Qing-Yan left, that pair of tightly closed eyes opened once again. He tested moving his hand and discovered that the Fiery Underworld Incense in his body had already dispersed. His four limbs could move about freely, and he slowly sat up.
At this time, a shadow flashed to appear before him, “Master, this subordinate arrived late.”
The man waved his hand, his eyes surveying all around. It was indeed very simple and crude.
The black-clothed person didn’t know what Master was looking at, and said in a low voice, “Master, do you want this subordinate to dispose of all the people in the house?” Master’s trail could not be revealed, it was best to eliminate these people completely. In order to avoid leaving behind trouble.
“No need, leave behind some silver, and we leave immediately.” The man’s deep voice said.
The black-clothed person didn’t know why Master would do this, but he still complied and took out a handful of banknotes valued in silver from his chest pocket. He placed the banknotes on the bed.
Seeing Master’s eyebrows tighten as if he was not very satisfied, the black-clothed person immediately took out more folded banknotes valued in silver and added it on top of the other banknotes. Only at this moment did Master’s eyebrow loosen. A satisfied expression floated up on his face. The black-clothed person wiped at the non-existent perspiration on his forehead, today, the master was really strange.
This time, now that the father and daughter have silver, then they won’t causally recognize a person as an inserted in backwards scallion son-in-law. Everytime he recalled that he was mistaken as an inserted in backwards scallion by someone, he would be somewhat depressed.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes.”
When Chu Qing-Yan came back, she discovered that the purple-faced man had already disappeared without a trace. Leaving behind twenty banknotes, each worth one hundred taels (5) of silver. Maybe that person really had an identity or background that he couldn’t tell people, thus leaving quiety right after waking up. However, with regards to Chu Qing-Yan, she wasn’t a bit concerned about who this man might be. Him being able to leave immediately also fit perfectly with her wish. After all, now, in this different world, her identity was low, and she also didn’t want to stir up trouble with people of high status.
Looking at the banknotes in her hand, Chu Qing-Yan was still very happy. She sighed ruefully, so it turned out that you can also earn money from saving a person. In the future, she will definitely save a few more people, maybe her family would become rich from this. Only, this was also based on blind luck, she thought about it and decided to drop it.
When Mother Chu saw so much silver currency, she nearly jumped from the scare. She put it away in a great rush and also repeatedly warned her daughter not to rashly tell outsiders about this. Otherwise, it was very likely to incur and attract other people’s jealousy, because these two thousand taels of silver weren’t a small amount.
Chu Qing-Yan smilingly nodded her head, this windfall that flew over, perhaps could let her whole family live a comfortable life.
That night, Father Chu still went and slept in Chu Qing-Yan’s room. Mother Chu and Chu Qing-Yan, covered in the same quilt, lay down.
“Cai Cai, do you want to go to the Capital?” Mother Chu asked in a soft voice.
“Wherever mommy and daddy are, that’s where this daughter will be.” Chu Qing-Yan could clearly hear the expectations in Mother’s tone and said this, going along with her.
Mother Chu, having heard what was said, released a breath and sighed, “Cai Cai, Mother cannot make sense of the purpose for the Chu family to come here. However, Mother feels that the doctors in the Capital is definitely better than the doctors in our village. Your mother wants to help get treatment for your daddy. Ten years ago, a famous doctor came to the Capital. Unfortunately, at that time, our family encountered great changes, so we simply couldn’t even see him. Now, recalling this, I feel very regretful.”
So, it turned out Mother had this plan. Chu Qing-Yan grabbed hold of Mother’s hand, her firm expression was inconsistent with her age, “Mother, originally, daughter didn’t want to return to Chu family. Because daughter also feels that Chu Family’s purpose in coming here is ill-intentioned. However, Father’s illness, daughter feels that we really need to go to a bigger city to have it looked at. Maybe we can really find that famous doctor Mother mentioned. Moreover, we now have money in our hands. Medical care and fees for medicine are not a problem. It may also be assumed that our family doesn’t have anything that Chu family would want. Why not return and have a look, if it really won’t work, we’ll just move back again.”
“Okay.” Before, husband was foolish and daughter was a weak child. Encountering problems, there was only her to shed tears and clench her teeth to make the decision. There was no partner she could consult with. Now, hearing her daughter’s words, Mother Chu’s heart that hanged, wavering in the air, now had a place to settle. As a result, she didn’t notice her own daughter’s steadiness that exceeded her age.
Chu Qing-Yan looked at the wall with yellow dirt peeling off, even though she couldn’t live a good life here, at least she lived freely. It’s only that when she recalled Father’s illness, Mother’s pair of coarse hands, she would immediately have a kind of thought of just walking out. Even though her body was a ten-year-old’s, but her soul came from the twenty-first century. Even if she couldn’t give Mom and Daddy a life of great wealth and high status, but in this era, it wouldn’t be a difficult matter for her to establish a steady foothold.
Only, Chu Qing-Yan would never have imagined, fate always liked to change patterns and toss a person from side to side. Also, because she stepped into Chu family, from that moment on, her life was overturned.
1) Eldest Master. Another way to say it is Eldest Lord. So, in a traditional Chinese family, the extended family lives in a large courtyard with many individual houses, unless the head of the household from the previous generation dies and the descendents decide to divide the household. In this case, Daddy Chu is the eldest son from this household, so he should directly inherit the entire household.
2) Eldest Madam: Another way to say it is Eldest Lady. This is what servants call the wife of the eldest son that usually would inherit the entire household.
3) Elder Chu: This is the title given to the person currently in charge of the family. Usually, this would be Daddy Chu’s father, and if his father is dead, this title could be given to his uncle (aka father’s brother).
4) Elder Madam: Should be the chief/main wife of Elder Chu.
5) tael : a Chinese weight unit. In ancient times, Chinese money came in silver, gold and copper coins. Currency in silver and gold depended on weight… e.g. certain grams of silver equals certain number of copper coins. I’m leaving taels, the weight unit, as is. It’s about 50 grams when converted to modern units.